The unwitting publisher will publish a new T.H.U.N.D.E.R. Agents series. Cancellation announcement forthcoming.

Source: Press Release

When shopping for a used car, it's usually recommended that consumers ask for a report of the history of the vehicle before making any purchases, or at least that what hundreds of obnoxious commercials with the catch phrase "show me the Carfax" have taught us. IDW may be wishing they had followed that advice after producing a new T.H.U.N.D.E.R. Agents comic book.

T.H.U.N.D.E.R. Agents has been published by various companies since 1965, including Tower, JC, Deluxe, and DC Comics. Despite critical acclaim, the most recent version by DC, written by speculators' dreamboat Nick Spencer, lasted only ten issues before being canceled. IDW, it seems, has learned nothing.

Obviously fooled by a smooth-talking used comic salesman, IDW actually praises the number of times the book has moved from company to company in its press release, naming a veritable who's who of famous creators who have worked on the book, such as Gil Kane, Dave Cockrum, and Wally Wood. But are any of those creators still making comics today? Case closed.

IDW plans release both a new T.H.U.N.D.E.R. Agents series as well as collected reprints. It was announced at New York Comic Con earlier this year that IDW had attained the rights. According to the press release sent out yesterday, no announcements about the details will be made until 2013. When asked why they bothered to send out a press release if they had nothing new to announce, IDW stated that they had nothing better to do, and no one pays attention around the holidays anyway. It is possible they may have been drinking.

San Diego, CA (December 19, 2012) – IDW Publishing announced to a full house at this year’s New York Comic Con that they’ve acquired the rights to publish the exploits of the legendary band of super-powered heroes, the T.H.U.N.D.E.R. AGENTS!

First published in 1965, the fan-favorite team has seen their exploits published by Tower, JC, Deluxe, and DC Comics and been written and drawn by a virtual who’s-who of comic industry titans. The diverse cast of Agents have seen their share of adventures over the years—including DC’s well-received run most recently—but IDW is excited at the opportunity to put their stamp on the legendary team.

“T.H.U.N.D.E.R. Agents always had a great premise in addition to the list of esteemed creators who worked on the comics—people whose day job was being government-employed superheroes,” said IDW’s Chief Creative Officer/Editor-in-Chief Chris Ryall, “That premise offers a resonant jumping-off point for some exciting new stories that will add to the great comics already left behind by both Tower and DC’s recent run.”

“T.H.U.N.D.E.R. Agents is a classic, beloved property,” added Greg Goldstein, IDW's President and C.O.O.. “Its original stories featured some of the best superhero art of the silver age and it was well ahead of its time in many areas of storytelling. As an example, it was the first mainstream comic book to feature the ‘permanent’ death of a major character.”

In addition to the rights to reprint classic T.H.U.N.D.E.R. Agents comics as well as create all-new series around the property, IDW also now controls the rights to fellow Tower Comics titles Undersea Agent and Fight the Enemy, too.

“We are very excited that T.H.U.N.D.E.R. Agents has found a new home at IDW,” said David M. Matthews, Managing Director of Radiant Assets, owner of the property. “Their history of high-quality publications coupled with top-notch creative teams perfectly compliments our desire to expand not only the T.H.U.N.D.E.R. Agent franchise, but Undersea Agent and Fight the Enemy, as well. We join them with great optimism about bringing this storied team’s past, present and future to a whole new generation of readers, who will join the longtime legion of fans already anxious for the continuation of the team’s legendary exploits.”

Though specific plans have yet to be revealed, 2013 is looking to be a mighty year for the T.H.U.N.D.E.R. Agents!

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About the Author - Jude Terror

Jude Terror is the Webmaster Supreme of The Outhouse and a sarcastic ace reporter dedicated to delivering irreverent comics and entertainment news to The Outhouse's dozens of loyal readers. Driven by a quest for vengeance, Jude Terror taught himself to program and joined The Outhouse. He instantly began working toward his goal of forcing the internet comics community to take itself less seriously and failing miserably. Ironically, our webmaster, whose website skills know no end, has very little understanding of social networks or how they work. Regardless, you can find him on Twitter, Facebook, and Tumblr, but would probably have the most luck just emailing him.